Drew Manning, a fitness trainer gained and then lost 75 pounds in one year, on purpose.

He decided he wanted to learn what millions of Americans live with every day and to empathize with his clients. For six months, he stopped exercising and ate a common American diet of fast food, soda, and refined, processed snacks.

While the experiment for Drew Manning was meant to be physical, he and his wife, Lynn told Good Morning America that it also brought an emotional toll to their marriage. She told Good Morning America, “His self-confidence completely went away and was depleted. He became lethargic, lazy, did not help around the house.”

“I was in denial at first until she kept pointing out the things I was doing, but I did become lazier. I started snoring and I was chafing. I had less energy so I did become exhausted and I kept seeing how it affected our relationship because of that. And so that’s where the biggest surprise was, the emotional part,” Drew Manning told ABC’s Good Morning America.

“I felt like less of a person the bigger I got, as if I’d lost a bit of what made me, well, me. As I walked away from the store that day, I realized that being overweight wasn’t all about the waistline. It was about self-worth, and the reality that the world looked down on you without even knowing your story.”

Drew Manning started the Fit2Fat2Fit experiment on May 7, 2011. At that time he had a 34.5-inch waist and 17-inch neck, and he weighed 193 pounds. Six months later, he had a 48-inch waist, 19-inch neck and he weighed 265 pounds.

He ended the experiment last fall and returned to the gym. The former fitness addict he was, now had no motivation to do a simple exercise such as a pull-up or push-up. “For the first time in my life I was humbled,” he said. “The first time going to the gym, I was nervous. Before I loved going to the gym, but for the first time in my life, I was humbled. Doing push-ups on my knees, doing assisted pull-ups, things like that for the first time, it was a very humbling experience.”

Drew Manning also says when he first started the Fit2Fat2Fit experiment, he didn’t crave processed foods or anything of the sort, but on his way back to being fit again he suffered from soda deprivation headaches and food cravings.

“The biggest thing I learned is that it’s not just about the physical. It’s not just about the meal plan and the workouts and those things. The key is the mental and the emotional issues. I realized those issues are real.”

Drew Manning details his story in his new book, Fit2Fat2Fit: The Unexpected Lessons from Gaining and Losing 75 lbs on Purpose.

Fit2Fat2Fit Start

This is my beginning video of my journey from fit2fat2fit. I filmed this on May 7, 2011 and you’ll see my first meal on my journey from fit 2 fat!

I’d put my money that he went from fat to fit BY WORKING OUT & EXERCISING!!! Eating correctly – use your food as proper fuel for your body.
There is no magic pill or diet – just good old fashion hard work!!